Andy Murray installed as favourite to claim 2014 SPOTY
Published:Fresh from romping his way to the 2013 Sports Personality of Year award with 55 per cent of the vote, Ladbrokes have installed Andy Murray as the favourite to lift the trophy all over again in 2014.
The Wimbledon champion, who received his Sports Personality award via video link from his US training camp, leads the way to reign supreme at next year’s ceremony with odds of 4/1, with Chris Froome, who finished sixth, the stand alone second favourite at 7/1.
England footballers Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard are next on the list of potential candidates to win, but their price of 12/1 is far shorter than the 33/1 available on them lifting the World Cup in Brazil this summer. However, Ladbrokes suspect a successful campaign under Roy Hodgson at the tournament will see both Rooney and Gerrard’s odds fall.
Jessica Bridge of Ladbrokes said: “It’s early days but Murray’s already lined up to complete the double. A successful World Cup will certainly see Gerrard and Rooney’s odds shorten, but that could just be wishful thinking at this stage.”
Rory McIlroy, who returned to winning ways in the golfing world recently, is given a 16/1 chance of picking up the title with 20/1 shot Alaistar Cook, who’s joined in that price bracket by Lewis Hamilton, an unlikely winner given his side’s current Ashes woes.
Leigh Halfpenny, who was a surprising second place to Murray in the 2013 voting, is perhaps the pick of the outsiders at 33/1, while Mo Farah, who’s finished fourth in consecutive years now, joins the Welsh rugby star in the 33/1-club.
It was a second third-placed finish for jockey A P McCoy in 2013, to go along with his 2010 triumph, and the Northern Irishman is rated as a 50/1 shot to win in 2014.
Elsewhere in the market other short-listed sports men and women from the class of 2013 are Christine Ohuruogu at 100/1 and Hannah Cockcroft at 200/1.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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